Musharraf Q & A Transcript of Delhi Lecture

I would like to thank Saroor Zaidi (‘Friends of Pakistan‘) for putting together this transcript of the Q & A session between Musharraf and various Indian personalities.

In the words of Saroor, “an amazing confident Musharraf has stood tall and proud, and represented Pakistan to the fullest capacity with dignity and power.”

There is no one in Pakistan who can represent the nation in this brave manner amidst an ocean of hostility. Unlike others, who love to make a statement or two against Pakistan while in India, Musharraf uttered not a word against Pakistan. Instead, he defended Pakistan with all his might in an unapologetic manner. This shows how bigger man Musharraf is than all of our politicians combined.

All Pakistanis, including those who may not agree with his policies, are proud of Musharraf.

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Arun Poorie: You are here as a messenger of peace. What did you do about it in the nine years when you were in power?

Musharraf: Let’s stop the blame game. We need to look at the reality, forget the past and look ahead. I don’t know what I did wrong, but I can tell you I tried my best for peace between India and Pakistan. I was never negative when the opportunity for peace came to me.

Arun Poorie: What plans do you have about the future?

Musharraf: To me, the core issue is building confidence by greater people-to-people affinity. Once the confidence is there, we should move towards resolving the core issues, and stop meddling with the internal affairs of each other’s country.

Arun Poorie: What do you have to say about what happened on 26/11 in Mumbai?

Musharraf: Let’s stop the war hysteria. Just a day into the investigations, the Pakistani army and the ISI was blamed for it. I am for a considered and matured response to these issues. As far as the investigations are concerned, the Pakistani government should fully cooperate and the guilty should be punished.

Arun Poorie: Are there any terrorist camps in Pakistan?

Musharraf: See we have done damage to each other. I am aware of what the Indian embassy is doing in Jalalabad and Kandahar. A terrorist from Kabul has been received by Indian intelligence agencies in India and looked after. I have documents to show this. Let us stop the blame game. India is a big country. You try to do damage to us, we will do damage to you. We should address the trust deficit between the two countries. The ISI does the same thing as the RAW does. There is no distinction.

Ravi Shankar Prasad: In the face of the present situation, do you see Taliban taking over Pakistan?

Musharraf: Areas in the North West Frontier [Province] where the problem is, account for less then one percent of the population. There is no danger of Taliban taking over Pakistan politically.

Arun Poorie: What specific confidence-building measures do you have for the future?

Musharraf: We need to look at strategic issues. We will have to address the water issue which would develop into a new conflict between the nations. We have to stick to the Indus Valley treaty.

Soli Sorabjee: Will you hand over Dawood Ibrahim to us as a confidence building measure?

Musharraf: This is a small issue. I do not know if he is there. I too have a long list of people that India needs to give us. The role of Indian embassy in Afghanistan in Jalalabad and Kandahar is not good either.

Individuals are a small issue. We need to look at strategic issues. I do not think handing over Dawood will change anything. I know it will not help in easing tensions between the two nations, if that happens then you will have to hand over Dawood back to Pakistan (laughs).

Rahul Kanwal: A conversation of Gen Kayani, the army chief who succeeded you, has been intercepted where he said Taliban is a ‘strategic asset’?

Musharraf: This is a lie. He cannot say that. I challenge them to show me the proof. It is a lie.

Amar Singh: When our (then) PM Vajpayee travelled to Lahore by bus to Lahore for friendship, Kargil happened. Now you say you are for peace?

Musharraf: I would not like to comment on this issue. I have dealt with this matter in my book.

Shekhar Gupta: Compare your years in power with that of Ziaul Haq.

Musharraf: The comparison cannot be done as the situation and ground realities were very different in both times. You must understand that Pakistan is not the perpetuator of terror but a victim of terror in the last 30 years.

Question: How is it to live in Pakistan and not be in charge?

Musharraf: It’s good. I am relaxed. The most difficult job was to take decisions in highly complex situations. Now I read about them in the papers.

General VP Malik: What are the chances of the army taking over Pakistan again? How can India help Pakistan in its problems?

Musharraf: It is the internal matter of Pakistan. The political leadership can deal with the situation. I would not like to comment on that. India can help Pakistan by not maligning Pakistani army and the ISI in the world.

Responses

Thanks for pasting this interview! I also read that Musharraf got a standing ovation. He’s surely a great leader!

By: opinion786 on March 10, 2009 at 11:48 am

Gen Musharraf took a very bold decision to visit India .Considering particularly last six months of verbal hostility between the two Nations ,taking place in the media and people’s mind.

The questions and the concerns raised were genuine but audience was hostile, for example starting to laugh and clapping for sentimental outburst of immature people who appeared to be sophisticated which I find in-appropriate.

Musharraf knowingly stepped into it maybe thinking can bridge the gap. Most of the questions put to the General were actually political statements from stereo type India, questions like Daood Ibrahim , like Farooq Abdullah on Kashmir and a Maulana preaching on the freedom and Equality of Muslims of India.

The prejudice , with which Musharraf was approached and attacked by various people representing various sections of Indian society were all blind to their own contribution to the hatred and war mongering.

If they would have tried to approach issues genuinely they might have built a bridge.

None the less Musharraf did his bit for Peace and Reconciliation in the region.

The Questions I would like to ask Musharraf after recent Indian visit:

Do you have any regrets that your family migrated to Pakistan?

Did you notice any difference between the India of today and of 1965 & 1971?

By: farrah k raja on March 10, 2009 at 2:41 pm

[…] The above contains a far more extensive Q & A session compared to the earlier posted transcript. […]

As we have seen what happening in Pakistan, on my previous response or articles i said all you that Democracy cannot run our country until we have Nawaz Sharif, Imran KHAN, Jamat E Islami and Zardari, they are figtinging for their fortunate not for Pakistan.

Nawaz Sharif is inviting again Military to take the power and they have no hesitation to safe pakistan on this cricis, this cricis only can clear once has go and other one should go exile from the politics, Pakistan is becoming individual provinces country, Sindh is for PPP Punjab is for Nawaz Sharif, this is the danger game to break up pakistan.

Only Military can stop.

Well the time and current situation of Pakistan is saying and ARMY BOOTS is jumping slowly to safe the Pakistan from this , and Ex president is in waiting to take the leadership again , this is all in newspaper in UK and USA , that dramtically he visited India and now fully paying his confidence in politics and the nation is ready to take him for long serving leader in the history of Pakistan.

This all come within one week time – EX CHIEF JUSTICE is really the man of NAWAZ SHARIF , he should say thank you i dont needed in the sake of Pakistan i dont need my chair again, because you people is playing political game and involving me there.

This is the best time i myself resigning the chair of whatever he is thinking.

Mushraff is the only person who can bring the peace and stablity and ecnomic grown in Pakistan.

lets see what is happening in pakistan.

Naseer

By: Mohammad Naseer Uddin on March 12, 2009 at 2:10 pm

for F Raja

On behalf of Ex President i am giving the answer that he or his family dont have the regrets but proud that we are Pakistani.

If you go on ytube and see the last interview of ex president to geo you can see how he explain the situation while his family was migrating from india to pakistan.

Like other i am very proud that we are pakistani.

This is another story to tell you but today we have to safe pakistan.

thank you

By: Mohammad Naseer Uddin on March 12, 2009 at 2:14 pm

dear brothers of pakistan dnt get confused it is written in ahdees that if a muslim want to be succesful in his /her life for both deen and dunya than they should follow suhaba pbut now these fake holy warriors backed by raw cia and mossad they are the real munafiqeens and murtideens and they are dying like pigs in this world and they will burn in hell .

Kaukab Siddique
now brother look at this man Kaukab Siddique a professer in university and intellectual but actually pimps of jews supporting these munafiqueens it is cristal clear that these so call talibans are actually holy warriors of jews taking revenge from muslim on their behalf

Maulvi Fazlullah The shit of lion
look at this again a well educated muslim scholar
Maulvi Fazlullah the spiritual leader how he can be mavlana he is definatly a kafir god should perish him

Maulana Sufi
u can never be sufi u r the son gulanm kadyani tati wali so u will also die while shiting in toilet